The question needs to be asked, what kind of sailor are you or what kind of sailors are your crew? Many fair weather sailors, novices, older people and younger people appreciate the stability and space which a catamaran offers. A hard-core monohull sailor once said: « When I sail a cat, it feels like I am driving my living room! » We see how this description is either appealing or not appealing, depending on who you are. This stability and void of healing are the main features which purists dislike and many a fair weather sailor does like!
Far too often we hear heart retching tails of sailors who are forced to settle for a week in a hotel. They are often out voted by their very own family or people who just don’t share their same passion for monohull sailing. We believe that catamarans could well be the answer and middle ground for many. Is it better to spend a week sailing a catamaran or being land locked and not sailing at all?
Traditionally there has been a definite price difference between catamarans and monohulls, however this gap in most cases is shrinking as catamarans are becoming more and more plentiful.
Catamarans are great for entertaining with their wide open spaces, easy flow from cockpit to saloon and not often can you blame a spilt drink on the sea. The shallow draft also makes for much closer beach access and davits for convenient dingy access.
It must be said that catamarans do not always add to the ease factor. In busy Mediterranean ports and marinas, space is a scarcity and monohulls do trump catamarans in this scenario. The wide beam can make finding a berth challenging, but when you find a space catamarans do trump on manoeuvrability due to their twin props. Catamarans are very popular and even more common than monohulls in; the Caribbean, the Seychelles, Thailand and other popular tropical charter locations.
Perhaps catamarans are still not for everyone, but they certainly have a place for many. Give them a try and see for yourself, you might be pleasantly surprised. For those of you who need less persuading, why not ask LateSail for a catamaran quote for your next charter.
Happy sailing
2014-12-19 11:08:04.000